The clinic operates during the regular school year based on the availability of our volunteer dentists and their staff.  We are open at least one day a week typically on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday according to the school’s calendar.  Hours of operation are from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

If you have questions, please call us at 541-942-3383 or email Courtney Long, our Dental Care Coordinator.

The South Lane Children’s Dental Clinic is made up of licensed community dentists and volunteer staff providing free dental care to qualifying children in South Lane County.  Our clinic is located at the Lane Community College Cottage Grove Campus.

Support for the clinic is provided by South Lane Children Dental Care Coalition. The coalition includes over a dozen key community partner organizations and a supporting group of five Cottage Grove dentists, school district employees, and community volunteers that have come together to support the mission of improving dental health in South Lane County.

Children’s Oral Health Need

SLSD serves nearly 3000 students in grades K-12 across 10 school campuses. Seventy percent of the students in this District qualify for free and reduced meals, which is an indicator of low-income and impoverished households. At the beginning of each school year, SLSD conducts health screenings of hundreds of school children in elementary grades. In 2012, approximately 18% of the 1256 students who were screened were identified with dental disease and needing restorative dental care.  A majority of these students do not have dental insurance coverage and/or their family cannot afford the dental care needed.  Many of these students are suffering from pain due to cavities and abscesses. This affects their academic performance as they are experiencing pain while in school or they have to miss school.  Similar types of dental health problems are reported by our school nurse for middle school and high school students, except that these students do not receive annual dental screenings so we do not know the extent of the health problem.

Dental Clinic Funding

A major grant funding source for establishing and operating the dental clinic has been made possible by the Oregon Community Foundation.   Other important funding supporters for this project, include: The Cottage Grove Community Foundation, the Cottage Grove Community Hospital and Clinics, The Cottage Grove Community Hospital Foundation,  the Woodard Family Foundation,  Lane Community College, South Lane School Board and Teachers, Cottage Grove Rotary Club, the Elks Club, Boys and Girls Club of Albany and Dr. Mike Goger,  United Way of Lane County,  Pacific Continental Bank, First Presbyterian Church, and nearly 100 private individuals in this community.